AI rendering from SketchUp: the displayed view becomes a photorealistic 3D render, without leaving the software

The RenderThink plugin opens inside SketchUp, captures the view on your screen and starts the render: a photorealistic image comes back in about a minute, faithful to your volumes, dimensions and materials. SketchUp 2024 and later, Windows and Mac.

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14 days, no commitment

Open kitchen.skp

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RenderThink

Studio

/Open kitchen

/ViewRender

Start with an image

Choose one or more original images from one of your projects.

From a projectSketchUp view

In progress0:18

Before / after

Median 1K render, under 30 seconds: 28 s
Ready for large-format printing: 8K
Free trial, no commitment: 14 days

The view on your screen comes back as a photograph, without leaving SketchUp.

The plugin captures the view, or you export an image

The extension installs from SketchUp itself: Extensions menu, Extension Manager, Install Extension, then the downloaded file. RenderThink joins the Extensions menu and the toolbar. Frame your scene as you would for an export, open the RenderThink window, capture: the view goes to render, the model stays open. Without the plugin, File, Export, 2D Graphic as PNG is enough; you drop the image into the Studio. The result is the same.

Download the pluginVersion 1.0.2

Frame the view in SketchUp
Camera at eye level, two-point perspective for straight verticals, shadows on. The plugin captures this view as is; a 2D Graphic export in PNG of at least 3,000 × 2,000 px gives the same base.
Start the AI render
Pick the project, the resolution (1K draft, 2K, 4K or 8K) and start. The computation runs on our servers: you can close the window or quit SketchUp, the render waits for you. Expect about 30 seconds in 1K and a minute in 8K.
Edit on the render, not on the model
In the Studio, designate a zone with the brush or smart click and change the material, colour or product; add, replace or remove an object. The rest of the image does not move. A decor mood applies to the whole room.
Present through a link
Gather renders, before-and-after comparisons and the mood board in a presentation shared by secure link, with a password and an expiry date if you wish. The client opens it on phone, tablet or computer, without an account.

What you do from SketchUp

All features

Setting up SketchUp before sending

Resolution and format: Export as PNG rather than JPEG, at 3,000 × 2,000 px at least (File, Export, 2D Graphic, Options). The sharper the source, the sharper the render. Import limits: 10 MB and 8,192 px.
Framing: Camera about 1.10 m from the floor, two-point perspective, no steep top-down angle: proportions stay those the client will see on site.
Light: Turn shadows on and place the sun for consistent lighting with no blocked-up areas: the render cannot restore what it cannot see.
Clean geometry: Reversed faces, holes in walls, visible guides and section planes end up in the render. Clean the model before capturing.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make an AI render from SketchUp?

Two ways. With the RenderThink plugin, frame the view in SketchUp, open the RenderThink window and click Capture: the displayed view goes to render and the photorealistic image comes back into the project in about a minute. Without the plugin, export the view as PNG (File, Export, 2D Graphic) and drop the image into the Studio. In both cases no .skp file is sent: only the image matters.

Which SketchUp versions are supported?

The plugin works with SketchUp 2024 and every later version, on Windows and macOS. It installs like any extension, from the Extension Manager, using the file downloaded from this page. Without the plugin, any SketchUp version able to export an image works, including SketchUp Free through a screenshot.

Do I need a graphics card or V-Ray to render from SketchUp?

No. The computation runs on our servers: an office laptop is enough, and nothing installs beyond the extension. That is the difference with a classic render engine such as V-Ray or Enscape, which computes on your machine and needs a dedicated graphics card and training. Here the only skill expected is the one you already have: framing a view in SketchUp.

Does the render respect my dimensions and materials?

Yes. The render starts from your image, not from a description: volumes, proportions, layout and perspective are those of the captured view. The materials you applied in SketchUp guide the result, which is why a light oak beats a generic grey before sending. To change a material afterwards, brush editing works on the render, zone by zone, without touching the rest.

How long does a render take, and how many credits?

From click to result, upscale included, the median times measured in production in September 2026 are about 30 seconds in 1K, 40 seconds in 2K, 50 seconds in 4K and just over a minute in 8K. Each render, edit or decoration uses credits included in your subscription, more in 4K and 8K than in 2K; presentations and teamwork use none. The free 14-day trial includes credits to test on your own scenes.

Can I keep working in SketchUp while it renders?

Yes. The generation runs on our servers: you can close the RenderThink window, keep modelling or quit SketchUp, the render carries on and waits for you when you come back, in the Studio history, in the plugin as in the browser.